Overview
- As schools reopened in mid-June, the government began the first phase covering 1,302 institutions and about 1.44 lakh students under the new breakfast scheme.
- The state has budgeted ₹720 crore a year for the programme with ₹540 crore for breakfasts, ₹180 crore for milk and an extra ₹56 crore for intermediate students.
- Two NGOs, the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Trust and Manna Trust, will run centralised kitchens in the first phase and serve schools across several districts.
- For the first time day scholars in government junior colleges will get both breakfast and midday meals, with 33 colleges and about 14,425 students due to start receiving meals and 150 ml of milk three days a week from June 15.
- Officials have set fixed weekly menus and delivery times, coordinated transport and textbook distribution, and say the phased rollout will expand to nearly 22 lakh students over the academic year.